Flexible shaft.



S. W. EKR OO S.

FLEXIBLE SHAFT. APPLICATION FILED, APR. 3. 1914, RENEWED Nov. 22, 1915..

Patented 00$. 23,1917.

( W e seems ret i er SIGURD w. EKROOS, or FLUSHING, new YORK, assieivor.To THEE; rI noo PAnY,

me, or LONG ISLAND CITY, new YGRK, ACORPORATION or NEW YonK.

' FLEXIBLE seam.

Application filed April 3, 1914, Serial No. 829,264.

To all whom 2'25 may concern.

a subjectof the Czar of Russia, residing at Maspeth, Flushing, L. 1., inthe county of Queens and State of New York, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in FlexibleShafts; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanylng drawngs,and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form apart of I v i 'ly1ng the lugswh-ichform the pivotal pmthisspecification.

This lnvention relates to new and useful improvements'in flexible shaftsand the object in viewjistoproduce a simple and eflicient device of thisnature so constructed that the links of the shaft maybe convenv may bedisconnected.

iently connectecltogether and detached.

More specifically the present invention consists of a series ofl1nks,-each made of a noted that blanks which are stamped with flatblank of metal with struckup lugs which,

when the plate is bent to form the link, are adapted to form a pivotalpoint for connection with the slot of an adjacent end of another link. I4

My invention comprises various details of construction,combinations andarrangements of parts which will be; hereinafter fully described, shownin the accompanying drawings and then specifically defined in theappended claims.

I illustrate my lnventlon 111 the accompanylng drawings, 1n which:

' Figure 1 is a'perspective view of a flexible shaft made in accordancewith my 'invention.

Fig. 2 is a side View showing the links of the chain separated, and

Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the blanks cut to form a link andbefore being bent in the shape shown in the other views.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, Adesignates a blank of metal which is stamped out with two wings A, and Bdesignates a lug which is struck up from each wing. The opposite end ofthe blank has a contracted projecting part D with an angled slot Eformed in one edge. The blank is bent so that the two wings A will bepositioned parallel to each other with a space intervening with the twolugs in contact with each other and forming are caught into the -'angledslot when the Renewed November 22, 1915. Serial No. cases.

i pivotal meansfor engaging the angled slot Be it known that I, SIGURDW. Eimoos,

at the'contracted end of a similarly constructed link.

The body portionof 'theplate is preferably bent in cylindrical form withthe two opposite edges in contact with each other as shown in thedrawings. Wh en;the1inks have been thus formed, the lugs projecting fromthe adjacent faces of the'wingsA links are at right angles to'each otherand, whenthe wings are turned in alinemen't'with one another, they willbe locked" together, the longitudinal movement of the link carbcinglimited by theends of thewings comf ing'in contact with the ends of theparts By'the' provision of a flexible shaft made in accordance with myinvention, it will be the lugs integral therewith may bend to form thecomplete "linl'r, it f merely being necessary to connectthe same asshown to form the shank. By this constructlon, the

links may be easily connected and disconne'cted when desired. 1

What'I claim'to bene w is 1. A fiex'iblesshaft comprising links, eachmade'of a blank ofnnetal hayingone end centrally slottedforming twowings, aiiin -tegral lug struck up fromthe face'of each wing, said lugsbeing adapted, when the "wings are turned parallel to each other, tocontact with each other and hold the wings spaced apart and forming apivotal pin, the opposite end of the link having a contracted projectionwith an angled slot located along one edge thereof and forming a hook,said projecting portion designed to be positioned in the spaceintermediate the wings upon an adjacent link and the hook designed toengage the integral lugs thereon, the portion of the link intermediatesaid projection and lug-carrying wings adapted to be turned intocylindrical form, the ends of which serve as stops to limit theinterlocked movement of the links.

2. As an article of manufacture, an element adapted to form part of aflexible shaft, said element comprising a one-piece sheet metal memberhaving a hollow tubular center portion, an extension from one end ofsaid tubular center portion designed to forma hook, a pair of wingsprojecting from the opposite end of said tubular center portion to forma space to containv a hook of a correspondingly shaped coacting member,and a projection extending from one 'of the Wings toward the other anddesigned end ofsaid center portion and provided wving s extendingintegrally from the oppo-r v ,withmeans for connecting the link to an,..adjacent link in thelshaft, a pair of flat site end of said centerportion parallel to -each ,other and designed (to receive flatwisetherebetween the flat end member of the next adjacent link therebetween,said wingaend provided with connecting means to jco-actw th theconnecting means of the ,next ltd] acent link.

4. As an article of manufacture, a link ad apteddto form part of aflexible shaft, said link formed completely of one-piece sheet metal andinclnding a hollow tubular center portion, a flat ,end member extend- 7ing from oneend of said center portion and provided with means forconnecting vthe I link to an adjacent link in the shaft, a flatextension projecting from the opposite end U ofsaid tubular portion,said last named extension provided With means designed to be engaged bythe flat-end-connecting means of the next adjacent. link.

5. A sheet metal flexible shaft link including a tubular body portionwith'an ex- .atension projecting from one end thereof and ,7 providedwith an angled slot located along oneledgethereof and forming a hook,said body portion designed to constitute a-stop to limit theinterlocking of the link with a coacting element.

6. A. one-piece sheet metal link adapted to form part of a flexibleshaft, said link comprising a central tubular portion and a flat memberextending from each of the ends of said central portion, one of saidmembers positioned in a plane extending at an angle to the planecontaining the other member, and each member provided with acomplemental element of a pivotal connection and each element designedto constitute part of a pivotal connection with the next adjacentsimilar link when assembled to form a flexible'shaft.

7 A onepiece sheet metal link adapted to form part of a flexible shaft,said link comprising a central portion and a flat member extending fromeach of the ends of said central portion, and each flat member providedwith a complementalelementof a pivotal connection, said elements beingdissimilar and each element designed to con stitute part of a pivotalconnection vwith the next adjacent similar link when assembled to form aflexible shaft.

8. Aflexible chain including two similar links, each formed of one pieceof sheet .metal and demountably fastened together to permit theseparation of the same without distortion, one of said links including apair of spaced apart flat end members and the other link including aflat end member fitting between said pair of end members to preventrelative rotary. movement between said links, and a pivotal connectionbetween said flat member and said pair of flat members to permitrelative movement of the links in one plane.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

SIGURD' VVFEKROOS.

Witnesses: Y

YcALMAs ANDERSON, C. WM. CHAMBERLAIN,

Gqpi ee pf this patent may be obtainedior five cents each, byaddressingthe comrnis sioner of Eatents,

i Washington, D. C.

It is hereby certified that the assignee in Letters Patent No.1,244,186, granted October 23, 1917, upon the application of Sigurd W.Ekroos, of Flushing, New

York, for an improvement in Flexible Shafts, was erroneously describedand specified as The G. Pill Company, Inc., Whereas said assignee shouldhave been described and specified as The G. Peel Company, Inc., as shownby the records of assignments in this oflice; and that the said LettersPatent should be read With this correction therein that the same mayconform to the record of the casein the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 20th day of August, A. 1)., 1918.

F. W. H. CLAY,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

[SEAL]

